Treaty of Bonds
by Whimsical Symphony
Summary: When Elincia decides that Laguz and Beorc relations need to be bettered, she sends Lucia to Gallia to serve under King Caineghis to accomplish this. Lucia learns more about the Laguz as well through conversing and working together with them. But, along with meeting friends, unexpected feelings also arise between her and a mischievous cat. Lucia/Ranulf


**Treaty of Bonds**

_Written by Whimsical Symphony_

**Summary** **–** Queen Elincia of Crimea sends Lucia Delbray to Gallia as an ambassador to further strengthen the ties between the Laguz and the Beorc in an attempt to further the ideal that her father had in mind. This is after the common folk in Crimea grow even less tolerant towards the Laguz. Under the command of Caineghis, King of Gallia, she works together with the Laguz to complete what missions are asked of her and to report the success to Elincia, how well Beorc and Laguz can work together. Meeting the other Laguz brethren, those from Phoenicis and Kilvas, earns Lucia new people to converse with, and perhaps something a tad more when it comes to a certain mischievous cat.

_Hello, all. This story is mostly being written for my own fun and enjoyment since I have started replaying Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Quite a strange couple being displayed here, but I hope you will enjoy nonetheless- when I thought about their personalities, I believed they would work well, but it is simply my opinion, though I hope if you dislike it, it won't be simply for the pairing in it. I also don't expect this one to be updated on a frequent basis, as this is more of a story that was simply relaxing to write for its first chapter and I'm under no pressure to do so. Please tell me what you think. Any constructive criticism is appreciated as well as any comments you may have on the story or concept._

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**Chapter 1 – Parting and Meeting**

Elincia, Queen of Crimea, and her retainer, Geoffrey Delbray, stood at the entrance of Castle Crimea. Elincia, as was understandable, looked a little worn, no doubt from the work that had recently sprung up that she had to attend to, but also a little gloomy, slightly dejected, like an innocent child who'd had had most special toy taken away from her. Elincia did maintain all the innocence of a child. Geoffrey merely looked a tad forlorn, but let no other expression show upon his features, to maintain the demeanor suitable for a retainer of Elincia, a proud, stone cold warrior. Lucia knew he was warm though, and just refused to show it for fear of making Elincia appear weak, to have his bad name thrust upon her. He used to be quite the cry baby.

"I'm sorry for asking you to do this for me, Lucia," Elincia said, almost repentant for what she had asked. To her, it had never felt correct commanding her two friends in such a way, but they would not have it. Always generous to the last bone, always stating that it was perfectly correct because of her standing as Queen, and because of their status as her retainers. "I would not ask you to be so far from Crimea unless there was a dire need."

"I told you, Elincia," Lucia replied while hoisting her small travelling bag on top of her trusty steed, a white horse which whinnied merrily, for her journey, "it's only correct you do so as Queen. Geoffrey and I will do anything you command as Queen and we would be glad to do so. We respect and love you greatly, Elincia." And indeed, Lucia did not look in the least, even mildly annoyed, frustrated, or show the regular emotions expected of someone who was ordered to travel such great distances on such short notice. "Besides, I know you have your work cut out for you here. I am honoured to be able to assist you in any way I can." Upon looking at the concerned expression set upon the Queen's face, and the frown which refused to remove itself, Lucia sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "There isn't a need to look so worried, Elincia. Gallia is merely our neighboring nation."

"You can't blame us, Lucia," Geoffrey stated. "After what happened when you were nearly killed in front of our very eyes when Ludveck abducted you… If General Ike hadn't come to your rescue…" He trailed off then, and Elincia also remained silent. It was obvious that the wound hadn't quite healed well for them, for Lucia's brother, nor for Elincia. Lucia remembered that day well herself, when she told Elincia not to worry about her, that her nation was more important. Her short hair was still proof of her own weakness which would remain within her. But, she would still make the same decision to tell her that even though time had passed; she wouldn't have Elincia sacrificing the wellbeing of her nation for one woman, and would still feel honoured to lose her life if it would better Crimea. Geoffrey thought the same of his own life, she knew.

"It has been long past, Geoffrey," Lucia stated, matter of fact. "And I know this won't end in my capture. I also want to help better Crimea, and to better the ties between Laguz and Beorc will be a wonderful place to start." She stuck her hand inside her knapsack before yanking out a brown, leather bound book with blank, yellowing pages. "I even have this with me, so that I will have all the pages filled by the time I return filled with successes of battle after battle, examples of Laguz and Beorc working finely together. I know I will also be looking forward to seeing our old Laguz friends again, like Mordecai, Lyre, and Lethe, even if she denies it vehemently." Lucia took Elincia's hand and placed her own hand over it, interlacing the fingers. "I will write a letter to you daily, Elincia. I will ensure I am well." Lucia released her hand and then turned to her brother. After looking at him for a moment, in a rare display of affection, she embraced him tightly, to which he reciprocated. "And you, Geoffrey. Of course I will write to you. Be sure you take care of yourself as well, since you are all but hopeless without me." Smirking slightly, she released him. "Be good to Elincia and don't worry about me."

"I will take care of myself, Lucia," Geoffrey replied. "I can do so without you, but you be sure to do the same." Lucia nodded in reply. "And I will be good to Elincia. I will enough work for two and will protect her with my life."

Lucia never doubted him, he always was exceptionally loyal to Elincia, once going so far, when necessary, to protect Elincia from harm by taking an arrow with his own body. Elincia never truly forgave him for it and shed many tears. "Thank you, Geoffrey. I will keep in touch."

"Geoffrey…" Elincia muttered quietly, gaze settled on her dear friend. She turned to Lucia. "Please return safely and let me know how you are doing. I won't be able to bear it if I don't even know if you're alive."

"Will do, Elincia," Lucia smiled and said. A quick nod to her brother, she then ensured that her pack was safely strung onto the saddle atop her horse. She mounted her horse swiftly, the pressure making it dart into a run. She didn't look back, because if she did, she was certain she'd look just as close to tears as her dear brother and Elincia did.

* * *

Lucia had set her 'camp' up amongst the wild thickets of the Gallian woods. She had always found it incredible how the landscape could change so much when they were simply a nation over. Crimea never had strange, yet beautiful, uneven terrain or the shrouds of trees that grew so tall that only a small section of the sky was visible from the clearing in which she sat. She fed another twig into the roaring fire, keeping herself warm, and then ate the fish she had cooked on it afterward which she had caught from a nearby river, close to the shore so she wouldn't need a fishing pole. Now that she thought of it, she supposed others would have found it strange that a noblewoman was not only a warrior, but seemed to catch fish with her bare hands. Lucia knew she was not like the average noble though, elegant and refined, but never ladylike. Elincia fit the bill for that much more securely, while she seemed like a jigsaw piece being forced to jam itself into the wrong socket. People never questioned her decisions though, admiring her for her power. She liked that much better, even if they gave her strange, curious looks for deciding that it would be better not to grow out her hair. It was certainly not feminine in the least, but more masculine. She had no qualms though._  
_

"_Achoo!" _Lucia sneezed loudly, and then rubbed her freezing arms with her hands. "It is a little cold out tonight." But, even though time had passed and she was quite used to having a building to sleep in at night, she remembered those nights from both wars in which she had participated. Sleeping in the cold such as she was doing now was quite a common occurrence. Though it was a little unpleasant at first, she now found it relaxing when she could simply lay in the grass, resting lightly but keeping an alert, listening to the crickets lull her into peaceful slumber.

Her vision alternated between clarity and dimness, wide range and tunnel range, darker, lighter, darker, lighter, darker, until she could feel her eyelids becoming heavier and heavier and the chill simply becoming initiators of drowsiness.

She let out a yawn, and right at that moment, there was a rustle in the bushes. Lucia was immediately alert, springing up from her position on the ground, her fingers already touching the sword sheathed at her waist. "Who's there? Show yourself!" A growl was her answer, multiple ones. Now that she thought it, the Laguz would have probably found it suspicious, a Beorc on their lands, regardless if the Beorc was from Crimea or not. "I'm not here to cause any harm," she stated, though she understood that it would be futile by now.

Before she could say another word, she was pounced upon by a cat Laguz with an all too familiar green ribbon tied around its neck. Lucia let out a small 'oof' as she was pushed to the ground. The Laguz shifted before her eyes. "Human-" Lucia now noted that her assumption was correct, for it was Lethe, who looked awfully stunned now that she realized she pinned down her _somewhat_ friend. She hastily removed herself from Lucia's form and glared. "You would do well to watch yourself. Had that been real battle, you would have fallen quickly – Beorc are too weak." She shook her head then, though Lucia did notice a small flush on her cheeks.

"Lethe too hasty, could have hurt Lucia," Mordecai spoke then. He was the second growl, she understood then. "Tried to stop you."

"Hello, Lethe. Nice to see you as well, Mordecai," Lucia greeted, getting up from the ground, dusting her clothes with her hands. "It was a very typical greeting of Lethe to get nearly killed, wasn't it?" Lethe glowered at her angrily in reply, affronted, though Lucia didn't take heed of it: it was normal for Lethe to act in a fierce manner.

"What are you doing in Gallia?" Lethe asked, straight to the point, her hands on her hips, looking Lucia in the eyes.

"We like to see Lucia. What brings you here?" Modecai asked in a much kinder manner, always the mediator between Beorc and Laguz. He always attempted to smooth over the rough patches that Lethe seemed to create. He was the perfect contrast to her behavior. "We apologize. We patrolling lands to make sure lands are safe – did not mean to attack Lucia."

"All is fine, Mordecai," Lucia replied, giving them both a winning smile. "Queen Elincia has entrusted me with a task to head to King Caineghis and perform missions for Gallia in order to strengthen the ties between Beorc and Laguz. There is much amiss in our own lands when it comes to such matters with the common folk, and Lady Elincia wishes so much to see her father and uncle's ideals come to life. Due to the strain of work, she has sent me in her stead."

"Lucia staying in Gallia?" Mordecai asked, confirming, ensuring that he had heard all correctly, still not comfortable with the common tongue. Lucia nodded, content that she was able to meet people she knew after so long. It dulled the pain a little from when she had left Geoffrey and Elincia. She hated to see them both worry for her.

"It is good that the Beorc Queen is working towards this goal," Lethe reluctantly admitted. "And of course, you are welcome in Gallia." She said this almost roughly, very hesitantly. Lucia knew that it was ingrained in her to remain cold, almost callous, for that was the way for a Gallian warrior to be. Lethe didn't much like to show she cared – she found it to simply be weakness. When she did, Lethe truly meant it. Lucia was glad that Lethe would show that she cared for her, despite her utter repulse of showing anyone she cared. For a cat Laguz, Lucia noted, she was so very different than her sister Lyre and their superior, Skrimir's advisor and the King's loyal subject, the cat who was outwardly mischievous, yet showed immeasurable amounts of cunning, Ranulf.

Lucia felt relief at their timely arrival. Two Laguz would be helpful in finding her way to the castle. Getting away from Bastian's confessions of love would also be a blessing for the time being - thinking that did make her miss Elincia and Geoffrey less.

* * *

They had pleasant conversation on the way to Castle Gallia. Pleasant enough by Lucia's standards and what Lethe usually behaved like. And Mordecai, though still not fluent in the common tongue, was always exceptionally friendly and tolerant toward Beorc more than any Laguz she had seen. Lethe still had lingering distrust, Lucia could tell, though she was certain that Ike had changed much of her beliefs that she had before the Mad King's War.

"You Beorc are clumsy and weak. This terrain and distance is nothing for us, yet you Beorc stumble and trip over your skinny legs. Such a short distance becomes so long with your frail bodies," Lethe had said. Lucia knew though not to take offence, Lethe meant no harm. She had never truly respected Beorc, though she knew that the people she had fought with during the two wars and General Ike's belief that Laguz and Beorc were equal morphed her beliefs as well.

"Lethe, rude," Mordecai had told her. Lethe scoffed and told him she was simply stating fact. In the language that Lethe spoke, that meant that she wasn't meaning to be offensive, but just verbally expressing what she saw.

Nonetheless, Lucia laughed, knowing that Lethe was her friend despite constantly denying it. So, she told her. Lethe had replied that her unbelievable behavior was starting to remind her of Ranulf. Lucia didn't know him well at all, so truly, she couldn't agree or disagree. Though, from what she had said, it seemed easy to conclude that Ranulf acted much the same way around others that he did around the General, playful, pushy. Lucia wasn't certain how she felt being labeled that way.

Mordecai had talked about life as a warrior, how he found honour in helping Gallia. He also told Lucia how he now taught the new soldiers in Gallia the ways to fight, how to defend themselves, because of his service in war. He enjoyed it very much, to be a mentor to his younger students, and was happy he was involved in their development as soldiers of Gallia. Lucia had asked Lethe how her sister was doing. Lethe had said she was the same as always, well, but still hating to fight more than any cat in Gallia.

They had to set up camp for a few nights in order to reach Gallia, much to the displeasure of Lethe who stated that she could reach there in less than a day with the amount of rest she required. Mordecai had mediated and told Lethe that she was not Laguz, so she shouldn't be expected to have their stamina.

But, the journey continued and they reached Castle Gallia, a very large, imposing figure. Around it was still the crowded, lush forests that Gallia was known for, and it was still exceptionally hilly, one of the many reasons why Lucia had tripped up much of her journey. The castle seemed to follow the hills, not truly built on flatland, giving it an almost wild, exotic taste, quite different than Castle Crimea. But, it was beautiful, and Lucia was glad to be welcomed.

They walked through the entrance, into the beautiful courtyard of stone and many types of flora. Many of the Laguz, servants, soldiers who trained, gave Lucia curious glances, wondering what a Beorc was doing at Castle Gallia. They straightened immediately once Lethe and Mordecai had passed, both being their superior officers. Lucia could understand especially well why Lethe could be an intimidating person to speak to, stiff, less carefree, and bound by her honour much more than her twin sister, Lyre.

"Lethe, Mordecai, who've you got there?" a curious voice questioned. Before Lucia had noticed, the cat had jumped down from one of the upper terraces. Still the same as always, Lucia duly noted. Ranulf looked as laidback as he usually did, the glint in his heterochromatic eyes harmlessly mischievous, his vast amount of genius not bothering to be shifted back to the surface, quite deceiving really. And, he still looked playful, and had that strange drawing personality, charming, the way he carried himself a magnet for all types of people. Lucia imagined he was quite popular with the women, and chuckled. He took a look at her before recognition struck and a large grin spread across his features. "Well, well, if it isn't Lady Lucia! What're you doing here?" He asked this with genuine curiosity.

"I am here to complete a mission for Queen Elincia. She wishes to strengthen the ties between Beorc and Laguz by sending me to work together with all of you serving King Gallia. I fear she has much work on her table already; I am honoured to be of service to her," Lucia replied, almost a pre-prepared speech, it sounded like.

"Do you have to surprise everyone by your visits, Ranulf?" Lethe stated, glowering.

"I can't help it, Lethe. I fear I'm the only normal cat here, what with liking to be in high places and all," Ranulf said cheekily. He turned to Lucia. "I suppose I'll be seeing you around then. Now this is what I call an even better surprise than my own visits."

"You're hiding from Lyre again, aren't you? You know she doesn't like high places," Lethe said. Her hands were on her hips, and she scowled at Ranulf in an accusing manner.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, whistling innocently. Lucia concluded he was a terrible liar; not only did he whistle in a completely obvious manner, his tail twitched nervously as well.

"Lyre has… feeling for Ranulf. He avoid her. It very common," Mordecai explained to her quietly. "Lyre follow Ranulf, and Ranulf hide or scare her away by entering high place." Lucia nodded in understanding. One main difference between Lethe and her sister Lyre was how Lyre seemed to be infatuated with their commander. She always suspected, but never truly had confirmation until now. Apparently her efforts scared Ranulf away.

Lethe sighed, reluctantly proving her assumption to be true. "Lyre likes male cats too much, she does not focus much on the art of war."

"A high ranking Gallian warrior so easily frightened?" Lucia taunted, turning toward Ranulf, chuckling to herself. "I never would have expected the right hand man of Gallia's King to be so cowardly."

Ranulf, as expected, took it all in stride. He didn't take comments to heart like many Gallians tended to do, like Lethe. "Well, Lyre is a little scary," he admitted, though the Cheshire grin remained upon his face. He turned away then, giving Lucia one last glance over his shoulder. "Well, toodles, I suppose, Lucia. Skrimir said he'd owe me one favour if I did the paperwork that the King told him to do." He grinned slyly at her then. "We'll see each other soon, I hope."

With all the feline grace that was so unnoticeable in his un-shifted form, he seemed to glide down the cobblestone pathways until he disappeared into the inner sanctum of the castle to do the work that Skrimir had requested of him. He really was quite whimsical in nature, Lucia noted. She had never truly had a proper conversation with him before this day, just normal pleasantries in camp. In fact, she was quite surprised that he even knew who she was, with the scarce amount that they'd spoken to each other since their meeting. He probably knew her from the fact that she served Queen Elincia, not more.

"Strange how he even knows my name," Lucia muttered, walking with Lethe and Mordecai to meet the King.

"What do you mean?" Lethe cocked her head curiously. "Ranulf knows the names of most people who served in war, he makes an effort to, and he truly respects you. He heard from General Ike and myself about the lengths you went to protect your Beorc country, willing to sacrifice your own life. Ranulf's mind is sharp, not like you Beorc though he may act like it – he talked about you much to myself, Lethe, Lyre and Mordecai. He is possibly pleased to meet you for the first time officially." Lethe gave her a small smile then, utterly surprising.

"Lyre not like when Ranulf spoke of Lucia," Mordecai added, "though she didn't mind so much when she also said how brave you were. Lyre also admire you greatly, and many other Gallians do as well. You are not like regular Beorc, nor normal Laguz – you accomplish great thing. Bravery is admired here."

Lucia didn't know why her calm, composed mask seemed to melt, and in its stead was left an embarrassed woman who attempted to hide but with no avail. Her stomach seemed to flutter and her skin seemed to heat up, not pleasantly warm, a contrast to the cold it was in during the nights on the trip to Castle Gallia, like fire and ice, not complimentary, yet suiting all the same, pleasant. She expected she and Geoffrey were the only two truly proud of her feat that day. To hear others were as well was surprising and pleasing all the same. Though she didn't show it at the time, it was difficult to let go of her mortal life, to cut the strings off of everything she'd been attached to, Crimea, Elincia, Geoffrey, and even Bastian. Though composed, though firm in telling Elincia to give her up, that Crimea was more important, she still felt that flash of fear, that weakness, but she had overcome it. She grazed her fingers over her short hair, feeling the soft tendrils in her hand. Perhaps it was a mark of strength and not of weakness, for she had overcome that weakness in the moment – her fear.

She didn't know what to say, so she simply smiled.

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_Words: 3 643_


End file.
